r/smallenginemechanics

Howdy all.

Hobbyist car mechanic here, and looking to get into tinkering with small engines. I have a decent set of full-size motor tooling (all the "normal" tools, some specialty tooling for brake/suspension/cooling system work, along with a good deal of diagnostic equipment - e.g. compression tester, leakdown tester, etc.), but what are the things that make life easier for small engine repair that would NOT be found in a generalist/hobbyist toolbox?

Thanks a ton in advance for any knowledge/ideas you can drop!

Turned on Zero Turn after a while since I finally need it and it started and it ran for about a minute then it came to an abrupt stop while warming up.

It will only crank 1/4” at a time sometimes start again but then abruptly stops.

Any help?

Hey all! TLDR I got it stuck in mud and now the bike doesnt want to start. https://www.reddit.com/r/Dirtbikes/s/2THxclv6MU

After getting back home, I cleaned the bike thoroughly, including deep cleaning the airbox and reoiling the air filter. The bike wouldnt start. I then removed the exhaust and cleaned the mud out of it aswell, and noticed the bike started up easily when the exhaust was removed. After installing the exhaust back on, it wouldnt start again. The exhaust isnt blocked as I made sure to clean it out well.

I then removed the spark plug, cleared the cylinder just to be safe and cleaned the plug and checked for spark, its definitely getting spark. Also getting fuel, if I crank the throttle while holding the ignition down I can see excess fuel coming out of the exhaust. Ideas? I might buy a compression tester to be sure.

The bike didnt suck in water, It was running the night it got stuck and when I left it to come back the next day I left the engine well above the water line. Thanks in advance. Let me know if you need more info.

Last weekend, I was working on a small generator. Just basic maintenance, nothing complicated. I was removing bolts, checking carb, and putting things back together. I was using a socket wrench set I bought eight months ago. It was one of those full kits with many sizes and looked complete. Price was low so I didn’t think too much. At first, everything worked fine. No issues.

Then one bolt refused to move. Not rusted badly, just tight like normal engine bolts. I applied steady pressure and suddenly the socket slipped and rounded the edge slightly.

That’s where the problem started. Same bolt and same size, but now it became harder because the grip was already compromised. I switched sockets but same issue. The fit just didn't feel precise anymore. That’s when I started questioning the tool quality.

I went online later trying to understand tolerance differences in socket wrenches. I saw some discussions comparing branded tools vs bulk manufactured ones. Some people mentioned how similar sets show up across different stores, even listings connected to suppliers.

So now, I’m thinking simple. Better to have fewer tools that actually hold up than a full set that fails under normal load.

What brands or sets have you used that actually stay consistent under pressure?

I’ve been doing small engine repairs out of my garage for a few years. Not full time by any means, word or mouth advertising. Basically the guy down the road that can fix it. I’ve been having trouble coming up with fair pricing on labor. I’ve been charging $50/hr which is probably less than I could be. Something’s it seems like if I bill out actual time at $50/hr it wouldn’t be feasible to repair the piece. Some weed eaters, cheap push mowers etc. Others seem like the job can be completed quick enough I’m underselling my skill. Example, just replaced blades and spindles on a Deere rider. I had the deck off, washed, parts changed and deck reinstalled in about an hour and 20 minutes. $66 labor seems less than most would charge for such a job? Raise the rate, or would a flat rate per job type system work better? What is a typical charge for such job?